Apple snuggles up to Google with Schmidt joining BOD
Marshall Kirkpatrick
45 comments »
In a move that could lead to some fascinating collaboration, Apple just announced that Google CEO Eric Schmidt has joined its board of director. As the battle heats up between Google and Microsoft for online services and between Apple and Microsoft for media (not to mention computing) this is an important move that signals an alliance between the companies. Schmidt is now the eighth member of the Apple board.
Google just unveiled its first formal move towards an online office suite Sunday night. Everyone is watching to see how Apple will bring new media content online through iTunes and the company already dominates the portable media market. Could close collaboration between online giant Google and Apple hardware pose the most viable threat yet to Microsoft’s long held personal computing leadership? It certainly seems possible. Google alone is frightening enough for Microsoft. One way or the other, this could mean exciting things in the future. Granted, you’ve got to give a nod to the “Google is Evil” perspective and this budding partnership might end up being awful - we’ll see! I at least can’t help but be intrigued.
Saw him speak at SES2006, the guy would be a great asset to Apple!
dude, you just set yourself up for a barrage of Google-haters mail. way to take one for the team!
I don’t even like Google as an entity and i find myself defending them because of the rabid haters - “Google hasn’t cured cancer!”, “Google hasn’t slowed global warming, much less stopped it!” - these people are a little loopy. I wouldn’t be suprised if it’s Bill himself posting the anti-Google tirades.
Wow. I hope Apple rubs off on Google rather than the other way around.
This is starting to look like Google/Apple/AOL v. Microsoft/Yahoo/eBay.
I would agree with you Mike, but after the deal that eBay just did with Google - I’m not so sure which side of the fench eBay is sitting on…
“Granted, you’ve got to give a nod to the “Google is Evil” perspective and this budding partnership might end up being awful - we’ll see!”
Wow, giving Microsoft and Co. some competition is considered evil now? How why do I have *have* to give a nod to it? I just see it as a corporate alliance.
Nice Scoop! This is really big, as it solidifies the relationship and the rumors of future plans. Interesting timing, with Leopard’s release right around the corner, and collaboration escalating amongst Google’s new found “partners”. Vinny makes a valid point about the battle for online domination.
To me, the saddest thing is that fewer and fewer users of the internet remember when Google was more about finding things than having them shoved under your nose.
I’m not saying that those days could ever come back, but it’s starting to make me feel old.
correction Michael
Google/Apple/AOL/eBay/MySpace vs. Microsoft/Yahoo/Facebook.
I think the synergy between Apple and Google is more obvious than you think..
The only saving grace for Microsoft is the formiddable Ray Ozzie
This is excellant strategy. Google and Apple could rule the world (lets hope not…).
http://ioannusdeverani.wordpre.....directors/
It could also end up being nothing. The head of Intuit is on the Apple board and look how weak Quicken is on the Mac. Doesn’t seem to have helped much having him there.
I’m also intrigued by this situation… The Google office suite is moving in the right direction, but I think it’s still a bit too early for such tools. I’m thinking that while Google and Microsoft indirectly duke it out, there’s a chance for someone else to break in with some pretty important products that will help shape the way internet applications are distributed and used.
its been everyone versus microsoft for years…remember sun.
Considering just how many competing products they both have (mainly the .Mac suite), I doubt this will really strengthen the alliance, but just be a deal to get another of the technorati in with Apple.
I think it has less to do with what he is, and more to do with what he’s done, a la Al Gore.
Hold it guy’s , let’s not hope a lot.
Remember Google-Sun announcement?
I think people might be reading too much into this, and perhaps that was the intention. Time will tell.
Curiously enough, almost every googler I have met runs a powerbook.
We can hope that this portrays a closer relationship between the two companies, an aggressive push against Microsoft, and lots of great Google-branded Mac OS X software, but I think its less obvious. Don’t forget that Larry Ellison didn’t exactly make Mac OS X the best Oracle machine on the planet in his time on the board.
I think this could turn out to be an impressive partnership. I would like to see Apple get more into web apps and improve .mac significantly.
Maybe Google will start gearing more of their apps toward the Mac first. Remember when Google Earth was PC only?
Lots of good things happening on Infinite Loop lately.
Anyone think Disney should be mixed in with the companies aligned with AAPL? With Jobs sitting as a director of DIS, it would seem they should be part of this “Axis of No Evil” too.
Double p goes to double o. Maybe it’s more symbolic than it first looks like. I hope not. I wanna hold your brand.
I just wonder how many people at the Google Headquarters use an Apple laptop. Guess? Which is more prevalent, this: http://flickr.com/photos/x180/50329349/
or that: http://www.google.com/press/im.....photo8.jpg
It’s probably nothing. Corporate boardrooms have always been full of cross-breeding and in-breeding; all these guys are on each other’s boards. It doesn’t mean much of anything unless you want to get into the social implications of it.
Google was great when it first came out not it has turned into a POS site with its only gole $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Perfect match, 2 overhyped companies.